Today, Representative Suzan DelBene, who represents NPI’s home congressional district, Washington’s 1st — declared her support for an impeachment inquiry by the United States House, saying it was necessary to hold Donald Trump accountable. Below is her full statement:
It gives me no pleasure to announce that I am calling for the House of Representatives to begin an impeachment inquiry into the President of the United States.
This decision has weighed heavily on my mind as I have tried to determine the best course of action to take for our country.
I read the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Russian interference in our 2016 election, and I watched his testimony in front of Congress.
The notion that a sitting President would attempt to derail an investigation of a direct attack on our democracy is shocking, unpatriotic, and a violation of the oath we share. The President has taken virtually no action to try to prevent Russia or other foreign powers from meddling in our free and fair elections in the future.
Congress has a responsibility laid out in the Constitution to perform oversight. Further underscoring his disregard for the Constitution, the President has attacked the free press, ignored congressional subpoenas and instructed his own staffers not to cooperate with ongoing investigations. With every act of defiance, he continues to disgrace his office and violate the checks and balances that are the foundation of the Constitution.
I strongly believe Congress must fulfill our obligation to uphold the Constitution while addressing the problems Americans face daily. All my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus are fully committed to protecting our democracy and fixing the economic and social challenges we face as a country.
Finally, I want to say directly to the people I represent that this is a very sad day. I didn’t come to Congress hoping to launch an impeachment inquiry against any President.
But it is Congress’ responsibility to give these issues the utmost attention and I believe this is the best way to achieve that goal.
We agree. Thank you, Representative DelBene, for this act of leadership.
If a president who is flagrantly violating the Constitution and making common cause with the nation’s enemies is not impeached, it sets a terrible president.
There needs to be an impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump.
The consideration here needs to be the country’s future and the rule of law, not the 2020 election. Democrats can’t worry about how impeachment affects their reelection prospects. If they do their jobs, they will be in an excellent position to keep the House majority. Public opinion is fickle; trying to follow public opinion is not what leaders do. True leaders lead people to new positions.
Trump and the Republicans will lie and smear no matter what the Democrats do. Witness Trump’s attacks on Elijah Cummings this weekend.
The racist diatribes against the squad were only the beginning. Trump has signaled we can expect racist tweets (inspired by garbage programming on his favorite channel, Fox) on a regular basis in the future. The racist tweets appear to be part of his plan to rile up his base for the 2020 election. Trump understands how to radicalize right wingers; he’s been doing it for more than four years.
Impeachment is not an electoral trap, as some have argued. It is not a political weapon, either (which is how the Republicans tried to wield it back in the 1990s). Rather, it is a necessity for bad times. It is the essential tool the Founders gave us to check and remove a president who has usurped their authority.
These are bad times. Very bad times. Given what we already know about the conduct of the man who sits in the White House — Individual No. 1 — an impeachment inquiry is clearly warranted and wholly necessary.
We thank Representative DelBene for recognizing this.
6 Comments
Do not lose sight of the fact that the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate. Nothing will get done if we don’t get control of that branch as well. If we lose in 2020, we will have more conservatives on the Supreme Court, and more conservative federal judges. We honor the rule of law, but if it is one sided, the law is meaningless.
I do not trust the Supreme Court as it is now configured. Point of fact; the recent decision to bypass Congress by allowing Trump to use military funds for his wall. These monies were allocated by Congress for the military, not the wall. I can go on and on!!!!
A recommended follow up-read: Why do so many swallow all the president’s lies? (by Tom Burke)
This comment has been edited by NPI to comply with our Commenting Guidelines.
I agree with the idea — but we need to wait for the right time.
I fully agree.
Go back to D.C. and get some hate & gun laws into place. Shame any member of Congress & president for not protecting public from violation of our civil rights to live a peaceful life.
The House of Representatives has already passed several gun responsibility bills. It’s the Senate that needs to act. But don’t expect McConnell to lift a finger.